This application relates generally to the use of augmented reality to provide information and direction to users operating in or manipulating dynamic environments and, more particularly, to the use of augmented reality to present material and status information on a hoisting, rigging, or other lifting/transport process to a user in real time.
Augmented reality (AR) provides a view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented (or supplemented) by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, text, graphics, or video. In a typical AR application, a data processor reviews a camera-captured image for cues that trigger the display of additional information and images along with a display of the captured image.
While AR is useful for conveying information via a static display, it is particularly useful in dynamic situations and environments where images are captured and displayed in real-time and the information to be displayed using AR (hereinafter, “AR information”) changes. The ability to provide constant update to the AR information in response to changes in the environment and location and relative positioning of the user's display provides great utility in various applications including construction, repair, maintenance, and safety.
A particularly significant example of a dynamic spatial environment is the space on board a large ship. Not only does the ship itself move, its structure is flexible so that the position of a particular compartment or supporting structure in one part of the ship may change relative to other parts of the ship. Similar dynamic behavior can occur in tall buildings, construction sites, outdoor processing plants, roadways, bridges, etc.
In shipbuilding, as in the construction industry overall, lifting and handling of components, assemblies, tools, materials, and even personnel is a major part of the construction process. To the layman, it might appear that construction crews, particularly riggers, simply hook up a piece of equipment or a construction assembly to a crane hoist and lift the item into the desired position. For transporting small items weighing only a few hundred pounds or less this might be the case. However, when it comes to lifts weighing in the hundreds to thousands of tons, there are significant factors that must be known and taken into account by the rigging crew. These factors include, but are not limited to such things as crane capacity, crane and load foundation ratings, lift points, center of gravity, mass/weight of the lift, lift dimensions, travel route, cable angle, and particularly for exterior lifts, wind speed, temperature, and visibility. Many of these factors can change significantly during a lift. Moreover, the dynamic environment in which the lift takes place can change.
In accordance with the American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME) Codes and Standards, lifts may be categorized as ordinary, critical, or pre-engineered. This categorization determines the type of pre-lift planning that must be done to ensure the safety of workers and equipment involved. Each category requires a different level of planning before the lift is conducted. For most lifts, a written lift plan may be required which may include rigging sketches and/or descriptions. No matter how detailed the plan, however, changes in the load, lift conditions, or the dynamic environment can occur. Clear, rapid communication of such changes to operators and other individuals involved in the lift is essential.